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Perceived Social Support and School Well-Being Among Chinese Early and Middle Adolescents: The Mediational Role of Self-Esteem

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Abstract

This study examined the mediational role of self-esteem in accounting for the empirical link between perceived social support (parents, friends, and teachers) and school well-being (school satisfaction, positive affect in school, and negative affect in school). Participants were from China and were 221 early adolescents (Mage = 13.6) and 140 middle adolescents (Mage = 16.4). Among early adolescents, parent and teacher support, but not friend support, related significantly to positive school well-being. Among middle adolescents, friend and teacher support, but not parent support, significantly related to school well-being. For both early and middle adolescents, global self-esteem mediated relations between teacher support and school well-being. For early adolescents, global self-esteem mediated relations between parent support and school well-being; whereas for middle adolescents, global self-esteem mediated relations between friend support and school well-being. The findings supported socialcognitive models of well-being in Chinese context. Implications are discussed in the context of developmental and cultural considerations.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Project of Key Research Base for Humanities and Social Sciences Research of Ordinary Higher Institutions in Guangdong Province (No.11JDXM19001) and “12th Five-Year” Plan of Philosophy and Social Science Development in Guangzhou City (No. 11Y24). This study was also supported by Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University, and Research Center for Crisis Intervention and Psychological Service of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University. We gratefully acknowledge the reviewers for their very helpful comments and suggestions.

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  1. Department of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, People’s Republic of China

    Lili Tian, Benrong Liu & Siyuan Huang

  2. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    E. Scott Huebner

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Tian, L., Liu, B., Huang, S. et al. Perceived Social Support and School Well-Being Among Chinese Early and Middle Adolescents: The Mediational Role of Self-Esteem. Soc Indic Res 113, 991–1008 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0123-8

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